Study design: Retrospective study of a series of 226 consecutive Chinese patients with congenital scoliosis.
Objective: To identify the incidence of intraspinal abnormalities and other organ defects in surgical patients with congenital scoliosis in Chinese population.
Summary of background data: Previous studies have revealed high rates of intraspinal anomalies and other organ defects in patients with congenital scoliosis. The incidence of abnormalities in patients with congenital scoliosis in Chinese population has not been reported.
Methods: A total of 226 patients with congenital scoliosis underwent surgical treatment in Peking Union Medical College Hospital between January 2005 and March 2011 were identified. A definitive diagnosis of congenital scoliosis for all patients was made. Complete data were reviewed, including medical records, plain radiograph, magnetic resonance (MR) image of the whole spine, echocardiography, and renal ultrasound. The incidence of intraspinal abnormalities and other organ defects were analyzed.
Results: Intraspinal abnormalities were found in 99 (43%) patients. Diastematomyelia was identified to be the most common intraspinal pathological anomaly, which was different from the previous reports. The incidence of intraspinal anomaly in patients with failures of segmentation and mixed defects were significantly higher than those with failures of formation. Patients with thoracic hemivertebrae were found to have a higher incidence of intraspinal abnormalities than patients with lumbar hemivertebrae. Patients with intraspinal abnormality had a higher incidence of positive clinical findings than those with normal magnetic resonance imaging. However, the difference between the 2 groups was not statistically significant. Other organic defects were found in 91(40%) patients. Cardiac defects were detected in 18%, urogenital anomalies in 12%, and gastrointestinal anomalies in 5% of the patients in this study.
Conclusion: Diastematomyelia was found to be the most common intraspinal pathological anomaly and cardiac defects were the most common extraspinal anomaly in surgical patients with congenital scoliosis in this study. Magnetic resonance imaging, echocardiography, and ultrasound should be part of routine evaluation in all congenital cases before surgery, no matter positive clinical findings were found or not.
Level of evidence: 3.